Apple has released new iPad models, so it’s time to revisit the question of which model will best meet your needs as a musician.
This year’s lineup is as groundbreaking as it is disappointing, though. On the one hand, Apple at last created the perfect tablet for musicians, a truly...
This free downloadable Key Signature Chart is designed to help you learn all the key signatures easily. It's written in order of increasing sharps and flats.
Is it really necessary to learn all the key signatures?
In a word, yes. But fortunately, it’s not too difficult. All you really need...
Which Is Right for You?
If you're deciding between an acoustic and a digital piano, I’ll be happy to help you choose which one is best for you. We’ll take a pretty comprehensive look at the advantages and disadvantages of each so you can make the best decision for your needs.
At the...
Piano fingering is one of the most crucial aspects of learning the instrument, yet it is among the most overlooked. Here are seven of the most important rules for fingering, prefaced by an instruction to…
Rule #0: Finger it out for yourself!
No two hands are alike. What’s perfectly...
If you’re new to ear training, there is one skill that would be a good idea to develop first. Ideally, this skill would be developed from the very beginning of your music study since it makes other ear training possible and facilitates working with a music teacher. It even makes for a...
Piano exercises are something of a necessary evil in piano playing. Ideally, we wouldn’t need them; instead our fingers (and minds!) would get all the exercise they need from the pieces we play. In reality, however, practically the only players who are able to forego exercises altogether...
Practicing piano well is a far cry from just playing through our pieces. To learn effectively, our practice really needs to be systematic. Here are a few rules for effective piano practice.
Focus
Learning music requires our full attention. Practice while your concentration is at its peak. A...
For several years I’ve been using iPads for sheet music. Like countless musicians, they’ve become an indispensable part of my musical life. iPads are now standard onstage. When I go to concerts, now I see an iPad on a piano’s music stand much more often than paper sheet music.
...
How to set up your musical mind for success
Whenever we set out to learn something, our brain automatically tries to take what it assumes to be the easiest path. We naturally navigate towards what we take to be the easiest way to accomplish any given task. But what may seem to be the easiest path...
My music teacher colleague Diego Cardini was kind enough to write this post for Key-Notes readers. Rhythm is something most piano learners struggle with, and percussionists are experts at rhythm, so who better to ask for exercises to help piano students develop their rhythmic skills?
Intro
...
Capturing the Viennese sound with Bösendorfer and Austrian Audio
How do you capture the grandeur of a concert grand? Imagine the technological wizardry it takes to compress the whispers and roars of nine or more feet of handmade master craftsmanship into just two tiny ear buds. This...
Welcome to a truly innovative tool that will greatly accelerate your learning of any piece. After months of development, I'm excited to announce a new kind of app that will enable you to learn the language of music at a speed that had never before been possible.
It's built directly into the ...
